Much of the Declaration of Independence was based on the idea of natural rights.

Enlightenment ideas encouraged the colonists to think about becoming an independent country.

Social Studies Standard : Discuss how the principles in the Magna Carta were embodied in such documents as the English Bill of Rights and the American Declaration of Independence. Social Studies Standard 8.1.2: Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights.

minuteman: groups of young soldiers ready to assemble quickly. preamble: introduction. The preamble of the Declaration of Independence explains the goals. grievance: formal complaint.

Taxation Leads to Protests Taxes imposed by Britain sparked angry protests in the American colonies. Tensions between the colonists and Britain began to grow after Britain passed the Stamp Act of 1765 Taxes were placed on newspapers, legal documents, and other items. Colonists argued that because they had no elected representatives in the British Parliament, they could not have new taxes imposed on them. “No taxation without representation”

Taxation Leads to Protests  Taxes imposed by Britain sparked angry protests in the American colonies. In Boston, and elsewhere, some colonists refused to buy British goods. Britain eventually cancelled the Stamp Act due to the boycott. Protests against the taxation issue were held by Patriots. In March 1770, 5 colonists were shot and killed during a scuffle with British soldiers. This event called “the Boston Massacre” further angered the colonists.

From Protest to Revolution The first battles of the American Revolution broke out in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. In December 1773, a group of Patriots raided British merchant ships anchored in Boston harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea overboard. They were angry about a new law that gave a British company control of all tea sold in the colonies. Parliament passed several laws to punish Massachusetts. The Boston Port Bill The Quartering Act The Massachusetts Government Act

From Protest to Revolution  The first battles of the American Revolution broke out in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. People in the colonies were angry at these “Intolerable Acts.” In response, colonists organized the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in The delegates agreed not to buy British goods.

From Protest to Revolution  The first battles of the American Revolution broke out in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. On April 18, 1775, some 700 British soldiers marched to Lexington to seize hidden weapons. A skirmish broke out and 8 minutemen were killed. The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American Revolution. George Washington was voted to command the Continental Army.

Debate Over Independence While few colonists at first called for independence, public opinion shifted, helped in part by the writings of Thomas Paine. In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a 50 page pamphlet called Common Sense. According to Paine, King George III was “an enemy to liberty.” Common sense led to only one conclusion, “Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for separation.” Paine’s pamphlet became a bestseller throughout the colonies, and more colonists began to support independence.

Debate Over Independence Declaring Independence Delegates at the Continental Congress came around to the side of independence. In June 1776, a committee was formed to write a document outlining the reasons for separating from Britain. Thomas Jefferson was assigned the task of writing most of the declaration. The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776.

The Declaration of Independence In bold, clear words, the Declaration of Independence states that the colonists have a right to throw off British rule. Building on Enlightenment ideas, it uses step-by-step logic to why the colonists wanted to cast off British rule. The first section, the Preamble, or introduction, explains its goals. The Preamble refers to “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” In the next section, Thomas Jefferson states the principle that governments are created in order to protect people’s rights.

The Declaration of Independence  In bold, clear words, the Declaration of Independence states that the colonists have a right to throw off British rule. The third section details a long list of specific grievances, or formal complaints, against King George. Jefferson accuses the king of ignoring rights that English citizens had enjoyed since the time of the Magna Carta. In the conclusion, the Declaration restates the ideas of John Locke that the people have a right to change an unjust government. He proclaims that King George has violated the rights of the colonists.

Why did colonists think Parliament did not have the power to tax them? They had no representation in Parliament What incident marked the start of the American Revolution? Battles of Lexington and Concord

Answer #4, 5,& 7 Finish the worksheet.

HOMEWORK EXTENSION  Write a detailed SUMMARY of the section and complete the UNANSWERED QUESTIONS section of your notes.  Choose two of the remaining Depth & Complexity ICONS in your notes and explain how they relate to this section.